Auxiliary seat for high chairs



Sept. 13, 1955 Filed Sept. 15. 1952 E. E. HARTMANN AUXILIARY SEAT FORHIGH CHAIRS 5 Sheets-Sheet l a Z. 6 i

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Sept. 13, 1955 E. E. HARTMANN 2,717,633

AUXILIARY SEAT FOR HIGH CHAIRS Filed Sept. 15, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR. E u gene E Hart'nzann HTTORNEY.

Sept. 13, 1955 E. E. HARTMANN AUXILIARY SEAT FOR HIGH CHAIRS Filed Sept.15, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 q a i i w" 28 L27 29 F 1 INVENTOR. 20

Eu gene l1 Hartman/z HTTORNEH United States Patent AUXILIARY SEAT FDRHIGH CHAIRS Eugene E. Hartmann, Louisville, Ky.

Application September 15, 1952, Serial No. 309,662

4 Claims. (Cl. 155131) This invention relates to an auxiliary seat forhigh chairs and the like.

The present invention is to provide an auxiliary seat particularlyadapted to be arranged'on the seat of an infants high chair so as tosecurely support an infant thereon and prevent or minimize thepossibility of the infant sliding therefrom.

Another object is the provision of an auxiliary seat for a conventionalinfants high chair and the like which is designed to support the infanton top of the seat so that the infants knees are elevated and his weightis shifted rearwardly to his hips whereby the latter will be retainedagainst the back of the chair so that the seat has a tendency to keepthe infants back straight and thereby promote good posture in a sittingposition.

A further object is the provision of an auxiliary seat adapted to beclamped or otherwise attached to the seat portion of a conventionalinfants high chair and the like and which auxiliary seat is formed witha rearwardly sloping upper face so as to support an infant thereon withhis knees elevated and his weight shifted rearwardly to his hips.

Still another object is to provide an auxiliary seat primarily adaptedto be clamped to the seat portion of a conventional infants high chairand the like wherein the upper face of the auxiliary seat is formed witha concave and rearwardly sloping seat area which supports the infantthereon with his knees elevated and his weight shifted rearwardly to hiships.

A still further object is to provide the seat of a conventional infantshigh chair with a hinged seat portion which is adapted to be retained inan angularly rearwardly sloping position so as to securely support and.retain an infant thereon.

Still a further object is the provision of a seat for an infants highchair having a hinged portion adapted to be folded upwardly intoposition against the chair back in inoperative position and to adownwardly disposed angularly extending operative position in whichlatter position an infant is supported thereon with his knees elevatedand his weight shifted rearwardly to his hips. These and other objectsand advantages will be apparent by considering the followingspecification in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of my improvedauxiliary seat in assembled position on the seat portion of aconventional infants high chair;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the preferred form of my improvedauxiliary seat;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of my improved seatarranged in the seat of an infants high chair and hingedly connectedthereto; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, thenumeral 1 represents generally "ice a conventional infants high chairand the like which includes a horizontally disposed flat seat section 2,legs 3, upwardly and rearwardly sloping back member 4, and arm rests 5.In. the preferred form of my invention, an auxiliary seat 6 is formed ofwood, plastic or other suitable material such as sheet metal or thelike. The seat 6 is substantially rectangular and of less width andlength than the seat section 2 so as to occupy only the rearwardportion'of the latter, and the seat 6 is provided with a fiat bottomface 7 which rests on the seat section 2. The upper face 8 of the seatslopes downwardly and rearwardly from front to rear and is formed with aconcave portion 9 for receiving the buttocks of an infant in an obviousmanner.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4, the seat6 is removably and pivotally connected to the chair seat by a pair ofclamping members 10. The members are of somewhat C-shape whereby thetransversely extending spaced legs 11 and 12 thereof are adapted to bepositioned over the side edges of the chair seat 2 so that clampedscrews 13, projecting through apertures 14 in the clamp legs 12, may betightened into positions against the underside of the seat 2, as bestshown in Figures 3 and 4. The clamp legs 11 extend parallel to the upperface of the seat 2 and are adapted to project through a bearing sleeve15 arranged within a bore 16 extending transversely through the seat 6adjacent the rear thereof. As the rear edge of the seat 6 is rounded, asat 17, it will be apparent that the seat 6 may swing upwardly to thedotted line position of Figure l where the same will bear'against thechair back 4 in an inoperative position.

When the seat 6 is in a lowered or operative position, it will beunderstood that an infant may be seated thereon. Due to rearwardlysloping upper face 8 and concave portion 9 of the seat, the infantsknees will be raised or elevated so that his weight will be shiftedrearwardly and downwardly to his hips so that the latter will bepositioned and retained against the back 4 of the high chair. In thisconnection, the angle of elevation between the forward portion of theseat 6 and the chair seat 2 is preferably between eight and ten degreeswhich satisfactorily. causes the infants knees to be raised. Because theback 4 of the chair extends upwardly and rearwardly at an angle, asshown in Figure 1, this will effect a chair which has an angle ofapproximately ninety degrees. Consequently, the infant cannot slideforwardly in the chair and the seat 6 has a tendency to retain theinfants back straight against the back 4 of the chair and thus promotegood posture in a sitting position.

My improved auxiliary seat is designed to fit into most conventionalhigh chairs.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, an infantshigh chair 17' includes a horizontally disposed flat seat section 18,legs 19, upwardly and rearwardly sloping back member 20, and arm rests21. The seat section 18 is formed with a substantially rectangularopening 22 spaced from the front and side edges thereof and extending tothe back 20, within which opening is snugly seated a seat portion 23. Byreference to Figure 6, it will be noted that the forward edge of theopening 22 is tapered downwardly, as at 24, and the correspondingforward edge of the seat portion 23 is tapered upwardly and forwardly,as at 25. The rear edge of the seat portion is also tapered upwardly andrearwardly, as at 26, and suitable leaf hinges and the like 27 aresuitably secured to the rear edge of the seat portion and the chair back20. Thus, in the normal lowered position of the seat portion 23, theforward edge 25 will flatly engage the edge 24 of the opening and thehinge leaves will be in abutting relationship, in an obvious manner, sothat the seat portion 23 will be securely supported in the opening 22wherein the upper faces of the flat chair seat section 18 and seatportion 23 will be on the same horizontal plane.

In the modified form, the seat portion-23 is supported in the elevatedor raised position of Figure 6 by relatively narrow fiat fingers 27arranged on the upper face of the seat section 18 adjacent the forwardedge of the opening 22. The fingers are provided with elongated slots 28through which headed screws or the like 29 project into the body of thesection 13 so that the fingers 27 may be slidably adjusted from the fullline to the dotted line positions of Figure 5, in an obvious manner.That is, the fingers are slidably moved relative to their retainingscrews 29. In the full line position of Figure 5, it will be noted thatthe fingers 27 clear the opening 22 to permit of the seating of the seatportion 23 within its opening 22, whereas, When the seat is first raisedand the fingers 27 moved to their dotted line positions, the fingerswill project into the opening and will serve to engage the underside ofthe seat portion 23 and support the same in the raised or elevatedposition of Figure 6. In the last mentioned position, it will beapparent that the infants knees will be raised or elevated so that hisweight will be shifted rearwardly and downwardly to his hips so that thelatter will be positioned and retained against the back 20 of the highchair.

While I have described and illustrated preferred and modified forms ofmy invention, it is to be understood that various changes andimprovements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination with an infants high chair including legs, seatsection and a back, of an auxiliary seat member, said seat member havinga substantially fiat bottom face adapted to engage with the upper faceof said seat section, said member being formed with a downwardly andrear wardly sloping upper face, means for pivotally connecting the rearportion of said seat member to said seat section, whereby said membermay be elevated relative thereto, said seat member being adapted toreceive and support an infant thereon whereby his knees will be raisedand his weight will be shifted rearwardly to his hips so that the latterwill be positioned and retained against the back of said chair.

2. In combination with an infants high chair including legs,substantially horizontal seat section and a back, of an auxiliary seatmember, said seat member having a substantially flat bottom face adaptedto engage with the upper face of said seat section, said member beingformed with a downwardly and rearwardly sloping upper face, said upperface having a concave area thereon, means for pivotally and removablyconnecting the rear portion of said seat member to said seat sectionwhereby said member may be elevated relative thereto, said seat memberbeing adapted to receive and support an infant thereon whereby his kneeswill be raised and his weight will be shifted rearwardly to his hips sothat the latter will be positioned and retained against the back of saidchair.

3. In combination with an infants high chair including legs,substantially horizontal seat section and a back, of an auxiliary seatmember, said member having a substantially fiat bottom face adapted toengage with the upper face of said seat section, and said member beingformed with a downwardly and rearwardly sloping upper face having aconcave area thereon, clamping members pivotally connected to the rearportion of said seat member and engageable with said section wherebysaid seat member may be swung vertically relative thereto, said seatmember being adapted to receive and support an infant thereon wherebyhis knees will be raised and his weight will be shifted rearwardly tohis hips so that the latter will be positioned and retained against theback of said chair.

4. In combination with an infants high chair including legs,substantially horizontal seat section and a back, of a substantiallyrectangular auxiliary seat member of less size than said seat section,said seat member having a substantially fiat bottom face adapted toengage with the upper face of said seat section, and said member beingformed with a downwardly and rearwardly sloping upper face having aconcave area thereon, a bore extending transversely through the rearportion of said seat section, clamping members sleeved in said bore forpivotal movement relative thereto, said clamping members having meansthereon for removably engaging with said seat section whereby saidseatmember may be swung vertically relative thereto, said seat member beingadapted to receive 1 and support an infant thereon whereby his kneeswill be raised and his weight will be shifted rearwardly to his hips sothat the latter will be positioned and retained against the back of saidchair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

